The Evolution of Entertainment: The Super Bowl Halftime Show

Every year, people joke that they are only watching the Super Bowl for the halftime show. But how did it come to be, and does it really live up to the hype?

By the time halftime rolled around at Super Bowl LX, most viewers were looking for anything with life to compensate for the rather boring offensive performances by both teams in the first half. So, by the time Bad Bunny took the stage, it was a welcome relief to some to see the energy pick up. Though not all Super Bowls feature touchdown-less first halves, every year there is anticipation as the lights dim and the voice announces it is time for the Apple Music Halftime Show. 

So, where did the tradition of a performer at halftime come from? And why is it so big at the Super Bowl? After all, many NFL games, especially ones played at night, feature some kind of halftime entertainment, but it is rarely televised. Why this one? 

Since the beginning of football as a sport, colleges have taken the opportunity halftime provides to showcase their marching bands. To this day, if you attend a college football game, you will be regaled with the band, in formation, playing both popular songs and the school fight song. The NFL, however, does not have their own marching bands associated with each team, so in the first Super Bowl, they simply poached the marching band from the University of Arizona. This trend continued for the first few Super Bowls, until it reached a breakthrough when Michael Jackson headlined the entertainment in 1993 at Super Bowl XXVII. From there, the halftime show became one of the most popular music events in the United States. From anticipation building up for months before a performer is selected, then speculation of how they will put on the show, and which of their hit songs will be performed.

Miss Texas 1973 performs the violin at the halftime show of Super Bowl VIII alongside the Longhorn Band (Photograph: James Heigl/Sports Illustrated)

Most people who are not die-hard NFL fans, however, are not interested in buying a four-figure nosebleed ticket just to see a performer for fourteen minutes. And even those who do turn up at the game might find themselves sorely disappointed with what they saw. As the halftime show has grown into a cultural event, the experience of watching it has also changed. Zachary Paul attended his first Super Bowl last year, and when Kendrick Lamar took the stage, he was surprised to learn that he preferred the experience of watching the halftime show at home. “It was for the same reason I don’t like watching something like golf in person as much as I do on TV,” Paul explains. “It moves around so much on the field, and there are so many props. When I watched Kendrick Lamar last year, half the time he was behind something, and I was like, ‘Where’d he go?’ You get the best angles on TV and almost the same energy.”

Maka Demoff ‘27, who has attended four Super Bowls, including Super Bowl LIX with Lamar, agreed the view is better on TV. “The theatrics of the halftime show are always going to be better on TV,” says Demoff. He disagreed with Paul, however, that the energy is the same. “I think there is something about being there and being able to witness it in-person that is a magic you’ll never be able to recreate on TV. It’s like a concert, where the song is going to be of higher quality if you listen to it on your own, but at a concert you get to see it right there and live. The appeal of going to see the halftime show is you are actually there in the moment, not that you are getting the best view.” 

The view of Rihanna’s halftime performance during Super Bowl LVII from the stands (Photograph: Claire Demoff)

In short, the Super Bowl Halftime show is much like watching a blockbuster concert from the nosebleeds– you may not get the best view, but the experience of being there live is unforgettable. If you are a fan of the NFL, however, both Demoff and Paul agree– there is nothing better than screaming as your favorite (or least favorite) team takes the field in front of you. 

Now that Super Bowl LX is over, we sit back and wait for a few months to see who will join the list of performers that includes superstars like Beyonce, Rhianna, U2, and The Rolling Stones. And while pageantry rules the day today, some traditions still remain. During Usher’s performance at Super Bowl LVIII in 2024, the marching band of Jackson State Mississippi took the field alongside him.